Lone Wolf
by burning.x.impossibly.x.bright
Summary: After fleeing to the safehouse with Andrew, Derek spots Simon holding Chloe's hand in the back, what are his thoughts.... after the Awakening
1. Part 1: Always alone

**Disclaimer: I do not own. Kelley Armstrong is the magical person with the pen who created the wonderful world that the Darkest Powers and its characters come from. I only wish I was she.**

**Hmmm...well I wrote this because I kind of wondered what Derek's thoughts would be like after he saw Simon holding Chloe's hand in the van on the way to the safe house, so this takes place in Derek's head right after he witnesses that little act in the Awakening. I hope I managed to stay in Derek's character, that poor guy is so filled with self-loathing. I won't lie I was a little sad writing some of this. He's way to hard on himself that guy, and I stuck to that part of him hopefully pretty well. I didn't want to really use first person, so I kinda did an outsider's view of Derek's thoughts. Just so you know I love Derek, and I don't know if it's just me, but I wish the guy would stop putting himself down. He's awesome.**

**This little bit before the solid line is what I started with and used for my inspiration. I jotted it down one night before falling asleep. I kind of branched off from it, and used it as my starting point for the actual fanfic.**

_**Lone wolf. All alone. Wandering. Never stopping to let someone in. Until her. How did I let her in? Now it'll only hurt more when she picks him. Cause there is no way in hell she'd ever pick me. I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I hoped for her to want me, but I knew even hoping was pushing my luck. Girls like her didn't go for guys like me. Hell, no girls go for me, and she's better than other girls are. My mate. If only it went both ways. Now I'll always be a lone wolf. All alone. Wandering.**_

**This is my first Darkest Powers Fanfic, and I hope I did the other Derek fans out there proud. Enjoy!**

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He'd always be alone. The few memories he had of living in the Edison Group's facilities told him that much. Being alone was in his past and it was definitely in his future. He had been different from the other werewolf pups. He hadn't belonged. They wanted to fight, but he knew fighting wouldn't solve anything, so he kept to himself. Even keeping out of their way didn't help sometimes, they'd find some unorthodox reason to attack him, or gang up on him just for the fun of it. The others had liked violence, but he hadn't. He preferred math, or reading, something that he felt had an answer for him to find. There was safety in always being able to find a solution; it was that feeling of security that drew him to learning. Math didn't hit or bite you, sure, it couldn't talk to you either, but at least it didn't hurt him. He knew he was missing out by not having any friends, but he figured nothing was better than the lot he had to deal with. He hadn't wanted to be friends with the other boys, but he also hadn't wanted to be their enemy. He had been bigger than the others had been, but he was alone, they at least had each other. They were a pack, while he was just a lone wolf. A lone wolf, searching for something more, he just didn't know what yet.

He wanted to be happy, but he knew it was something that he would probably never feel. He was wrong about that, eventually he did feel happiness, just not while being cooped up in a cage like an animal. When he went to live with Kit and Simon his whole life changed. Sure, he was still a werewolf, but now he had a chance to live, a chance to be free. He could run around outside, or play with anything he wanted without being yelled at. Kit wasn't afraid to be around him, and he appreciated that. No other adult had every actually showed him any form of genuine kindness. The adults at the Edison Group had always treated him with a false tenderness that seemed to radiate fear. Whenever they came to see him and the other boys, they were always afraid of what might happen. They thought they were dangerous, and that they would randomly burst into violence, which might've been true for the other boys, but it never had been for him. He knew that violence was wrong, and yet they still stereotyped him and placed him in the same league as the real troublemakers. He hoped that some day he could escape the prejudice that he had encountered from the moment he was born, only now was he beginning to understand how deep that prejudice ran.

At his new home with Kit and Simon he was finally able to understand the joys that he'd read about in books. He knew what a playground looked like, and he finally felt love. He'd never felt loved before. The people at the Edison Group didn't believe in coddling their subjects, especially when they felt they were dangerous, but Kit, or Dad, was nothing like that. He treated Derek as his son, and Simon treated him like a brother. They were his family. His pack, or at least that's how it felt to him. He had known that he would do anything to protect either of his family members if something bad was going to happen to them, he would protect them with his own life if that were what it would take to save them. He had wondered if that was what an actual pack felt like. A love so strong, that your own life seemed unimportant. Maybe that was just the fact that he loved them. He'd never loved anyone before so he really didn't know, but he figured that pack life was more barbaric and territorial than that. At the Edison Group the other pups had never genuinely seemed to care for each other, it was as if they knew together they were stronger than when they were alone; that since they were all the same they should stick together, especially since they always seemed so against anything or anyone that was different. When he thought about the way they acted to others, it was clear that the prejudice involved with werewolves seemed to go both ways, at least for some it did. Once again, Derek seemed the oddball out.

When he was younger, he had always been able to ask Kit questions about werewolves, and even though he was a sorcerer and knew very little about them, he still tried his best to answer Derek's questions. When Simon had gotten old enough to start practicing his own magic, Derek would watch the two of them interact, and he'd wonder if he would ever meet someone to explain his own abilities to him. Kit could only help him so far along, and the rest was a guessing game. They'd never know what the Edison Group had done to him as a child, so there was no way to tell how Derek's change into a werewolf would progress, and that had left him scared. They all knew that only time would tell how it would all unfold, so they were left to wait until it became evident that Derek's change was going along earlier than expected, and with what seemed like a vengeance. When it hit him, it hit him hard. He chuckled as he remembered what Chloe had called it when he'd overheard her while she was talking to Rae, "Puberty Smackdown."

He could be patient, growing up the way that he had made sure of that. For so long Derek had learned to depend on the sureness that everything had an answer, but if his problem had one, he had no clue how to figure it out what it was. He hoped that everything would work itself out, but he had had his doubts even then. Now, he knew it wouldn't work itself out, and he'd just have to learn to deal with that. Maybe he could do it with less scowling though. Nah...there was no point in putting on a happy face for anyone, he might as well share his discontent with everyone. He preferred to live his life without hiding, so why should he put up a fake front just to please somebody else. He shouldn't that's the point, but scowling took a lot out of a guy, that's for sure. He missed being a kid, when just being allowed to run around the front lawn had put a smile on his face. Now the only people who could make him smile seemed to Simon, and Chloe.

Chloe. He didn't really know what he felt about her. It was different, new. Over the last few weeks on the run, he'd gotten close to her. Closer than he'd ever gotten to anyone, other than Simon and Kit, and even then, it had taken him months to warm up to them. Of course, those were completely different situations, with completely different results. He loved his family, but he was _in_ love with Chloe. He didn't know how the feelings he felt for his family and Chloe could be described with such similar terms. Love, it must be pretty damn universal that's for sure, cause there was no way in hell he felt the same way about Simon as he did Chloe. I mean it'd be pretty messed up if he did, seeing as Simon was like his brother, and Chloe was well...Chloe. Everything about her made him smile. He had no clue how he let her get so close, but he had. Even before leaving Lyle's House he'd felt something for her, but those feelings had grown exponentially in the weeks following their first escape. It had taken him far too long to come to terms with the way that he felt about her, but now that he had, he did feel better. He wasn't going to broadcast his love or anything, but admitting it to himself had made all the difference. He felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, as if he could breathe again.

He didn't know how she felt about him, but it didn't really matter because he knew his brother liked her. She obviously cared for him too, or she'd do something to hinder his advances, but she let him comfort her. She let him hold her hand, and not once had she told him to stop. Nothing she had done seemed to contradict her liking Simon, nothing except the way she behaved with him. She'd stayed with Derek during both of his partial changes, whispering words of encouragement the whole time, and never once acting as if she'd rather be somewhere else. She seemed genuinely interested in what happened to him, and wanted to ease the pain he was feeling. Then, after my fight with Liam, she was so concerned with his injuries, even though he knew she was afraid, but then again maybe the fear was for him. Maybe she was afraid of Liam or Ramon hurting him, not just being hurt herself.

No. He couldn't think things like that. If he encouraged himself it would only hurt more when she chose Simon in the end. He knew that in the end Simon would get his girl, he always did. Derek only hoped that this time would be different, that Simon wouldn't treat Chloe the way he had treated girls in the past. Simon had so many girlfriends that he hadn't even been able to keep up, not that he wanted to, but still Simon went through them like they were cigarettes, as soon as he was finished he'd get a new one from the pack. If Simon did that to Chloe, Derek didn't know what he'd do.

Simon was his brother, but Chloe was his...mate. There he finally admitted that too, only he didn't feel better. Werewolves were similar to wolves in many ways, and the mating for life was one of the similarities. Derek knew that if Chloe chose Simon he'd be alone again, but he didn't care. He knew it was messed up for him to want his mate to be with someone else, and his wolf self was very opposed to the idea. His wolf self was the main reason that he was always interrupting Simon and Chloe when they were alone, and he happily obliged. Knowing that if he interrupted them they weren't likely to do anything to make him get angry. He didn't know what would happen if he got too jealous, and he was scared that he might take out his frustration and anger on Simon, and that was something he'd do anything to prevent. He wanted to protect Simon almost as much as he craved protecting Chloe. Despite his jealousy, he knew being with him would be way to dangerous for Chloe, and he loved her enough that he would take the sacrifice of being alone over causing her pain. He didn't want to be the reason for her hurting, when all he wanted to do was protect her and keep her safe. So he'd let her be with Simon, even if it hurt him.

What was he talking about though; there was no way Chloe would even want to be with him, so he didn't have to worry about hurting her that way. No girl in their right mind would ever choose to be with him, girls didn't exactly go for his type. He was in the awkward stages of puberty and there was no sign that it was letting up any time soon. He'd probably still be showering several times a day for the next couple of years, or who knew maybe after his full change it'd slow down. He hoped it would, he was self-conscious enough as it was. Maybe one day he'd find someone, but he knew it wouldn't be Chloe, she was amazing, and no one that amazing would ever fall for him. The only reason she was kind to him was that she was Chloe. Chloe was the kindest and most compassionate person he'd ever met. Hell, even after Tori had went all sadistic and crazy on her she still insisted on her being allowed to tag along with us. He was also Simon's brother, so Chloe was probably nicer to him for Simon's benefit. She wouldn't be the first girl, but he still didn't think that was right. Chloe was far too genuine to do something like that. She probably just felt sorry for him. Somehow, her pity didn't sit right with him. He didn't want his mate pitying him, it wasn't right.

He should stop thinking about her like that, he knew the wolf part of him considered her his mate, and by proxy so did his human self, but it didn't make it right. She would never choose to be linked to him in that way, especially since with wolves, it was for life. They were a little young for that. He couldn't help hoping that her behaviour towards him meant that she might feel the same way, but he didn't let himself dwell on those thoughts because they only caused him pain. It'd be far worse to know that she felt the same way, but that they still couldn't be together, which they couldn't because the Edison Group was right, he was dangerous. The boy he had left paralyzed earlier that year proved that, he was out of control, and he wouldn't subject her to that. If he changed and something happened, he wouldn't be able to live with himself. He never wanted to hurt her, so it would be better to avoid getting to close to her. Deep down he knew that because he'd already chosen his mate, even though it was only one-sided, that he would never find anyone to replace her.

If he didn't get Chloe, he'd always be alone. He'd never find anyone to spend his life with because he already found her. The first time he saw Chloe he knew there was something about her and he actually saw her, which was weird. He'd never actually noticed a girl before her, and he didn't think he ever would again. He'd been around girls before, that much is obvious, but other than noticing their features, nothing had ever caught his eye. With Chloe, it was as if he could see inside her, he could see that she was so genuine, and that she was special. When he'd first met her he reasoned that it was just because she was another supernatural, but deep down he'd known from the beginning that it had been a lie. Even then, his wolf side had already singled her out, and the more he knew her the more he knew that the wolf was right. She was his, or more accurately, he was hers, even if she didn't want him. He knew that the thing he had been looking for as a lone wolf was Chloe, she was the one thing his life needed to be complete. Without Chloe, he knew his life would be empty, a shell of what it could be, but he didn't care.

He only had one option, the same option he'd always had: to be alone. He'd leave for himself, and for Chloe. He'd let her live a normal life, free to pick who she wanted to be with, be it Simon or somebody else. He'd give Chloe up, no matter how much it hurt him. When the time was right, he'd leave. Let Simon and Chloe get to know each other without his brooding figure in the background, ready to interrupt whenever the two of them happened to have a moment of intimacy to close for his liking. Of course, to be honest, leaving was just as selfish as staying, by leaving he was giving himself an easy way out. He knew it would hurt everyone for him to go, but the selfish part of him would leave to save himself the torture of seeing a relationship bloom between his brother and his mate. He wanted Chloe to be with someone who was better for her than he was, but that didn't mean that he wanted to be around to witness it. He'd rather be somewhere else, he didn't really care where he went, as long as he didn't have to have a front row seat of his mate falling in love and spending time with someone else. Instead, he would wander, he'd go where his whims took him, and he'd be a lone wolf. After all, he'd always known he would be alone.

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**I hope you liked it! :D**

**Critique and Reviews are always welcome. I'd love to hear your thoughts, even if they're just about marshmallows, or to recommend a good book. I'm always up for some random chatter, so don't be afraid. I don't bite...well if you asked me to bite maybe I would, but probably not. lol Anywho, I hope your day goes splendidly! Adieu.**


	2. Part 2: Together

**Disclaimer : Unfortunately Derek is still not mine, but I haven't asked maybe Kelley Armstrong will let me have him :D Anywho...nope don't own the Darkest Powers or its characters.**

**First of all, Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favourited, or shown any form of support for me at all. I love all of you! You are my world, well not my world, but you're definitely my heros! :D**

**I decided that since other people, along with myself, don't like to see Derek sad, that I just had to do something about it. This one-shot is now a two-shot, and I'm hoping you guys will like how it turns out for Derek. Oh and I took some advice from some of the lovely reviewers. I hope that I kept it more interesting by mixing up my sentences, and I changed my paragraphs, so I hope it's easier to read. **

**So...for this one my inspiration there was a little thing I borrowed from the lovely Stephenie Meyer's from Twilight. I loved that quote, but sadly for my inspiration i couldn't quite fit irrevocably in it without it sounding hokey lol Oh well, I still liked it lol**

_**Of three things, Derek was certain:**_

_**1. He was a werewolf.**_

_**2. Chloe was his mate.**_

_**3. He was tired of being the lone wolf.**_

**Read on happy people, and I hope you like it :D **

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It had been just over a week since their arrival at the safe house, and having Chloe in such a close proximity, no matter how little time he spent with her, didn't lessen his feelings at all. In fact, they seemed to get stronger every day, and the more he avoided her, the more he craved her presence.

He tried to avoid her, he really did, but somehow it always ended with them alone in a room together. He wasn't sure if it was on purpose or if subconsciously, they always ended up together.

It didn't really matter. All he knew was that he was sick of hurting. He was sick of being alone. He was sick of not being with Chloe. He wanted to smile again, and without her, even the thought of smiling was unbearable.

As much as he wanted to leave to protect her, he knew he couldn't do it. He had thousands upon thousands of arguments swirling within his head, all convincing him that leaving her was the only option, but his heart had other ideas. He was torn between his reasons and his wants.

He wanted Chloe, more than a horse wanted oats, more than a dog wanted a bone, and he wanted her more than he wanted life itself.

He wasn't strong enough to leave her either. Hell, they'd only been at the safe house for a week and he was already pining for her. Obviously, Derek had no control over his feelings, and nothing he did could ever change them. For him it was all or nothing. It all came to down Chloe.

What did she feel?

What did she want?

After brooding for several days, Derek had decided it was about time for him to take the next step. He would tell Chloe how he felt.

Part of him felt guilty knowing that there was something already going on between her and Simon, but the other part, the wolf part, told him it didn't matter because their bond was stronger than some silly teenage crush.

Besides, over the week Chloe had seemed distant with Simon, like his presence was more of a burden than a blessing. He hoped that was a good sign for him, after all, her distance had started after he began avoiding her.

He was afraid to hope that she wanted the same things that he wanted.

He was afraid of rejection. Like most teenage boys, it was one of Derek's greatest fears, but for him it was much worse, since rejection from Chloe would most likely lead to him being alone for the rest of his life.

But, he had to try.

The only thing that he could imagine being worse than rejection, would be if he never knew how Chloe felt. If he was going to leave, he was going to do it knowing that he didn't lose the greatest thing in his life just because he didn't make a move.

Her reactions to Simon over the last few days had at least given him the assurance that she wasn't interested in his brother. This pleased him, and it pleased the wolf side of him too, who was sure that it meant she was pining for him with the same urgency that he did for her. He used this confidence to help him get up the nerve to talk to Chloe.

He didn't want to plan what he was going to say. He wanted it to be natural. But, he didn't want to be unprepared. So, at night instead of sleeping he went through scenes in his head.

Scenes where Chloe accepted his advances and others where she rejected him in the harshest ways possible. He knew Chloe well enough that even if she did turn him down, she would do it in the kindest knowing that she would be kind no matter what didn't make him feel any better. It made the wolf side of his furious thinking that she might take pity on him if she decided she didn't want to be with him.

He didn't want pity. He wanted Chloe.

He went to bed angry some nights, and others he went to sleep with pictures of Chloe in his arms lulling him to sleep.

Her very presence relaxed him. He found that by avoiding her he had become so stressed that even a hot shower couldn't ease the tension.

In an effort to relax he would run. He'd enter the woods by a large oak tree. The trunk was perfect for lounging against after a long run.

The running didn't lessen his anxiety, but it did help him get his mind off his problems.

He ran a lot at the safe house. Maybe two or three times a day, after every meal, where he would see Chloe sitting across the table from him.

Of course, he didn't directly look at her. He used his peripheral vision, but the wolf side of him always complained, and the human side agreed, that a side view of Chloe wasn't enough.

It would never be enough.

Fleeting glances and dreams could only take him so far. He loved her, but her feelings were a mystery to him.

So, he continued to avoid getting himself hurt.

After their meals, he'd go outside before she could approach him, and he'd start running almost as soon he exited the house.

Even though he didn't think while running, he did afterwards.

Sometimes he would sit against the oak and think for hours. He'd think about the things that Chloe said, or the way her eyes sparkled.

She was always on his mind. He rarely thought of anything else.

Even worrying about Simon and his father had been put on the backburner, she consumed his every thought, not even math could distract him from her. It was hopeless, and he knew he had to do something soon, before he drove himself crazy.

It was at that very tree that Derek finally got up the actual nerve to talk to Chloe. He decided he'd find her, wherever she was and talk to her, after lunch later that day.

He figured that instead of going outside he could just go up to Chloe after they ate. But she didn't come in for lunch.

Already figuring the worst and worrying without reason about Chloe, Derek decided to boycott his own lunch. He searched the entire house for her. He couldn't find her anywhere. He doubted that she would go outside, but he figured it was worth a shot.

He spent so much time looking for her inside that it was already late in the day, and the sun was starting to set, making the trees and forest surrounding the safe house all the more beautiful. Derek looked around the yard with a searching glance, hoping beyond hope that Chloe was out there.

His eyes skimmed the large oak tree, and lying against its trunk was Chloe. Her small and fragile figure unsurpassed by the beauty surrounding her. She was so beautiful. He hadn't allowed himself to look at her for so long, he'd almost forgotten.

He approached her slowly, afraid that she might not want to talk to him.

He was heartbroken to see that she had clearly been crying. Puffy red eyes became the focus of her delicate, yet alluringly striking face.

He longed to reach out and comfort her. He held back, still uncertain of how she felt for him. The last thing he would want to do would be scare her away, when all he wanted to do was keep her safe, protect her.

"Derek." She spoke his name softly and quietly, if he hadn't had his werewolf senses he might not have heard. He lowered himself onto the ground beside her and looked into those intriguing blue eyes that were the focus of so many of his dreams. He could get lost in them.

Chloe looked at him, her eyes filled with sadness. His green eyes mirrored the sadness in hers. Just knowing she was sad filled him with pain identical to hers.

Hesitantly he reached his hand towards one of hers, holding it to provide comfort. With that small motion, hope consumed him. She hadn't pulled away, and she was now looking at him expectantly, as if he was the answer her prayers and would make all her worries go away.

"Chloe..." he said softly, but loud enough that he knew she would hear him.

"D-don't leave me Derek, I can feel you pulling away. It's almost like you've left a-already," she said with a sob.

So, he had been the reason she was crying. He was angry with himself for causing her pain. He silently promised himself that he would do everything in his power to keep her happy.

She obviously didn't want him to leave...so he wouldn't,

"I'm not going anywhere Chloe. I'm right here. I do have something that I have to tell you though. Before I do, I want you to know that it's ok for you to feel differently. I just want you to be honest. Don't force yourself into anything. Okay?" He spoke slowly, trying to convey to her that he was being sincere, and trying to be soothing. He hoped that since his face was scowl-free she'd believe him. He didn't want to scare her.

"Derek. Why would I be forced into saying anything? You would never hurt me...not intentionally anyway," She said the last part quietly, but of course, he heard it, and she knew he did. He could tell by the glint in her eyes, the one that seemed to challenge him with a _tell-me-I'm-wrong_.

"You're right I'd never hurt you...on purpose," he said with a chuckle, but it didn't quite reach his eyes because he was thinking of the first time he hurt her accidentally, when he threw her across the room at Lyle House. "Chloe...I...I think you're my mate." He finished in a rush.

Okay. That wasn't what he had wanted to say, but he figured it was easier than pronouncing his love for her. He could always blame it on his wolf instinct if she didn't feel the same.

"What does that mean?" Chloe asked quietly with evident curiosity. She had her head tilted and her brow scrunched up in confusion. He thought she looked adorable. He had to tell her he loved her, or she wouldn't understand.

"IloveyouChloe," Derek said, making it one word, rather than four. He looked down, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"...y-you love me?" she asked hesitantly. He was amazed that she had understood him, but he kept his head down, unwilling to face the truth that would be plain on her face. Disgust. Rejection.

But, he didn't have a choice in his head staying down because Chloe had other things in mind. She brought her free hand up under his chin and pulled his face towards her own. He had forgotten that they were still holding hands, but Chloe's movement brought all of that back to him. Surely, it was a good sign that she hadn't dropped his hand yet.

Finding hope once again Derek actually looked at Chloe's face. She didn't look angry or upset, she actually looked happy, glowing even.

Her eyes were penetrating his and he couldn't resist any longer. He leaned into her hand and nodded his head, hoping she would understand that he was saying yes.

She understood immediately.

"Oh...Derek...I-I kind of love you too," she whispered shyly and her face was covered in blush. That was his Chloe, emotions always plain on her face. His Chloe. She really was wasn't she?

Despite his hope, he was still somehow shocked at how Chloe could love him, but he didn't doubt it. He could see clearly from her expression that she was being one hundred percent truthful. He couldn't believe his luck. He was overflowing with happiness. He was ecstatic, and he was pretty sure that he would never stop smiling.

Chloe loved him. He loved her. They loved each other. They'd be together forever now; he would never let her go. He wasn't a lone wolf anymore, sure, he wasn't in a pack, but with Chloe around it didn't matter. He'd never be alone again.

He had Chloe. His mate. His love. His life. She was his. Forever.

After several minutes of staring into each other's eyes, they broke their gaze. Chloe moved over into Derek's lap and they just sat in silence, while both of them wondered how they managed to find love at such a trying time in their lives. Life really was crazy.

The sun was almost completely beyond the horizon by the time one of them moved again.

Derek brushed a piece of Chloe's hair behind her ear, and he lowered his face just inches from hers. He rested his forehead onto hers and gave her one slow and gentle kiss, their first kiss. That kiss didn't end for quite some time though; it branched into many others, and before either of them knew it they were panting from lack of oxygen, and breathing heavily, as if they'd run a marathon.

They looked into each other's eyes once again, and slowly got up, knowing it was about time they went back inside, together.

Derek had Chloe and nothing else mattered, but he definitely could use some food right about then. He hadn't eaten since breakfast. When they entered the safe house kitchen, the eyes of the other three residents all rested on their linked hands.

Seeing Simon's expression immediately wiped the smile off Derek's face, so much for never losing it.

His brother was angry, and clearly jealous.

He had been so consumed by Chloe lately, that he's completely forgotten about how Simon would feel if they got together. He hadn't considered Simon once. Now he was forced to, and he hoped everything would turn out all right.

Hope...hell, he was really relying on it a lot lately.

"Knew it!" Tori yelled. Her yells brought Derek out of his reverie, and caused Chloe to jump about a foot off the ground, he couldn't help but chuckle.

"Tori, there is no need to yell. Well...I hope you two had a good time outside, you were certainly out there long enough," Andrew said somewhat sternly, but with a smile on his face, "Come sit down and eat some supper; you must be starving."

"I bet they had fun..." Simon said quietly and bitterly.

Derek's glance immediately went to him, hurt clearly on his face. Simon saw the pain he had caused his brother and felt immediately guilty.

"Sorry man," Simon said as he got up and went towards his brother. Simon gave Derek a sly grin and punched his arm, and he gracefully made his exit. Both from the room, and symbolically, showing Derek that he wouldn't interfere with his relationship with Chloe.

After dinner, Derek was finally full and he had Chloe in his arms. He didn't think he would ever need anything else in the world. She was his life now, and he was hers. Neither of them would ever be alone again.

He knew that if he ever did decide to wander, that he wouldn't do it alone. Chloe would be at his side always, just as she was when he went through his partial changes.

He also knew one day his change would be complete, and he knew that Chloe would still be by his side, just as always. He didn't know how, but he knew that even in wolf form he wouldn't hurt her.

How could he? She was the wolf's mate too, and he wouldn't hurt his mate...not intentionally anyways. He figured he and Chloe would deal with the unintentional hurts as they came, but until then, he would treasure what he had.

Chloe.

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